Voices of the Earth

Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity

Excerpted from statements by representatives of indigenous and traditional
communities in response to a request from UNEP for information on how they value
biodiversity, collected by the Environment Liaison Centre International and
published in Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity, edited by
Darrell Addison Posey (UNEP and Intermediate Technology Publications).

Patrick Segundad Kadazan
people, Malaysia

The term ‘biodiversity’ does not exist in my
people’s understanding or knowledge. If I were to translate the term into our
language, I would say it was everything in this world, down in the sea, and
things we can touch. At the same time, it is more than this – more than just
things that can be touched or things that are alive. The air, the water and the
sun also must be included.

Also there is a spiritual aspect to
what is also part of biodiversity. Although our peoples embrace Christianity,
Islam or whatever, we believe in the existence of spirit. The spirit is more
like a guide, something that you must respect or be conscious of. It could be
the spirit of the land, the spirit of things that live on trees or rocks, or
even your ancestor spirits.

In our language there is something
called adat, an unwritten understanding of common things that everyone
should know. It is often described as a traditional legal system, but, to the
indigenous people, it is much more, encompassing a set of beliefs and values
that affects all aspects of life. It is a set of unwritten rules and principles
that extends to everything and to relationships within both the physical world
and the spiritual world.

Everything is inhabited by some kind
of spirit and there is a proper way to conduct relationships with them. All
things are in balance and any disturbances in the spirit world may affect other
members of the Earthly family or the community.

Adat is closely linked to
agricultural practices and the management of the ecosystems. There is a wealth
of ritual and ceremony involved, especially with the swidden system, which aims
to redress the balance of nature that agriculture temporarily interrupts. The
whole process of work thus brings individuals in contact with the spirit world,
and if this should cause conflict between the spirits, the consequences may be
felt by the whole community. This, in turn, undoubtedly encourages communal work
and the sharing of responsibility for any activities that may adversely affect
the spirit world.

Ralph Mogati Korekore people,
Zimbabwe

Before we make any decisions, we consult our
ancestors first. We remind ourselves about our central spirits, we talk to them
and then they give us the go-ahead. Before we touch the land we go to the
spirits. The spirits are linked to certain animals or trees.

Somebody from the continent of the Great Turtle
Island, today called America, said that I don’t need to go to university to
learn about biodiversity. I believe what he said is the truth.

Biodiversity is described by science
in terms of the metals, rock, sand, water and so on, the things that the
scientists themselves can explain. On the other hand, an indigenous person’s
explanation of the biodiversity of a river, sea, coral reef, island or waterfall
has a fullness in that it also includes the biodiversity of a village, both in
the world where humans live and in the world where spirits live.

If we don’t know how to respect the
indigenous laws, the relation of the culture to the environment, man, and spirit
which must be maintained at all times will be upset. If the relation is not
maintained harmoniously, then things go wrong with biodiversity.

Scientists are jumping up and down
saying: ‘What’s going wrong with Planet Earth?’ Indigenous people know a
great deal about what is going wrong.

If we can link biodiversity to the
spiritual aspect, things will change.

Michael Kapo Papua New Guinea

Ruth Lilongula Solomon Islands

In the past we saw spirits in every tree. But now,
with Christianity coming in, things are changing. It was easy for we Solomon
Islanders to accept Christianity because we believe that God lives everywhere.
It was just that we had different names for such things in the past.

God lives on the trees and there are
times, if you are close to something like that, you can specifically call a
shouting tree or a hunting tree. You can go in and give Him everything in your
praise. Whenever you are there, you feel good about things, and as you come
home, you stop by a small stream or waterfall and wash.

You learn what trees to take and what
not to take for medicines. We believe that you have to go and ask the tree
first. If they say yes, you take the medicine, but if they say no, then you do
not. They could direct you to another tree which is O.K. to use. You don’t
take any others.

When Sibö decided to create this world, the Earth,
the first people he made were the indigenous people. He walked among our first
ancestors here in Talamanca, and he told them many things. He told them for
example, how he made the earth and the sea, how he brought the first animals to
the Earth, and how he planted the first trees. He also gave certain laws to us
and told us how we will be punished if we fail to obey them. He taught us how we
should live with all things on Earth.

He made white people in the day. That
is why they are more scientific. He gave them the intelligence to do many things
that the indigenous people can’t do. White people make cars, planes, boats,
money; they make many things. But Sibö only taught the indigenous people to
plant, to raise animals, and to hunt and fish.

The origin of the white people is a
relative of Sibö called PlékeköL, which means the King of the Leaf-cutter
Ants. Just look at the leaf-cutter ants, how they all work together cleaning all
the land around their nests. Where the leaf-cutter ants live, all the vegetation
is gone because they cut every last leaf and take it back to their big nests.

That is how the white man is. He works
very hard, but he destroys nature. The white man cuts down everything that is
green, and where he lives there are no trees, no rivers, no animals. On the
other hand, the indigenous people don’t work so hard. We plant corn, raise
animals and live in the forest. We don’t like to destroy nature, we like to
live in nature.

Johan Mathis Turi Saami people,
Norway

All peoples living like the Saami, linked to nature
as reindeer herders, have spiritual contact. We live adoring nature and then it
becomes sacred.

There is a necessity to please nature
so that it gives to you. You have to be kind to nature so that nature will give
you more. You have to be friends with the environment, otherwise it won’t work
in cooperation with you on whatever you call the spiritual.

Pera Bakalaharil people,
Botswana

All of the things that are here, the tubers,
plants, trees and wildlife, whatever, are God-given. To put a value on them is
difficult. The money-teller would be very little interested. What is equivalent
to the biodiversity here, to the things that surround us, is my life. If you
took these things away, it would be like taking part of my life, and then my
survival would be questionable.